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Jam Lady



Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2571
Location: New Jersey, USA
PostPosted: Sat Apr 30, 22 1:35 am    Post subject: Earthship Homes Reply with quote
    

An older idea that's still an excellent one, especially for Downsizery people:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/earthship-homes-made-from-old-cans-bottles-and-tires-are-being-rediscovered/ar-AAWL6rL?cvid=93f41d18ab1f40ca899922207aa6e27d

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15972

PostPosted: Sat Apr 30, 22 7:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Interesting concept and to some extent what a lot of people have been doing for a long time, but with more expertise. Shanty towns are often built of discarded oil cans and things, so taking that one stage further and making it acceptable and rather prettier and including things like power generation etc.

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46220
Location: yes
PostPosted: Sat Apr 30, 22 8:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

such methods do make sense, they have been used for a long time with assorted materials both foraged and repurposed

i stayed in a house made out of the timbers of a scrapped 18th C whaling ship
for 2 years my home was sticks and a lorry side curtain
we got rather good at re-using double-glazed windows with sticks and tarps and stuff
walkway ropes etc got recycled into building materials
the 50ft dia round house was sticks and assorted lorry tarps(thatch was in short supply, ie there was nothing suitable around, and it is a massive amount of work)

you would find metal in my tunnel cap concrete that more than meets the criteria in a borrow their helmet and whack em with it sort of way

to use these methods does require practical to out bid "planning regs" in many places, if build a home or barn or whatever has no "paperwork" use whatever is available that will do the job

i rather like the bottle of water + a little bleach to prevent algae thing.
half the bottle outside, half inside so they act as light tubes in solid or sheet walls or roofs. no need for daytime candles or leccy lights in a tin shack etc

most of the best woodburners i have known have been made from upcycled scrap metal

the basic "panel" for many applications is the pallet

tyres are good building units, a troubling thought there are estimated to be 50 million abandoned tyres on uk farms, globally the figure must be huge and there is plenty of mud to fill them
afaik the crusty crew have not used them for building, they do make ace "wobbling mounts" for armoured doors etc

the classic 50 gallon oil drum is a wonderful material for construction and upcycling in a huge number of ways, oven/space heater, tunnel shield, washing machine, roof etc

by combining foraged stuff, upcycled stuff and using small amounts of new stuff many things can be done as well if not better than with new alone

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15972

PostPosted: Sun May 01, 22 8:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

We use two tractor tyres for composting sawdust and another two for a 'midden' with added sawdust.

Jam Lady



Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2571
Location: New Jersey, USA
PostPosted: Sun May 01, 22 7:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I have made planters out of car tires. On the rim. Cut a side wall - scallop or point - then turn inside out. Important to trim the side wall the valve stem was on so the metal rim becomes a plinth, with a small skirt on the ground. Cut on the opposite side and the rim sticks up inside the tire. Which makes an excellent hose storage device.

Turning the tire inside to outside is rather what I imagine wrestling with an anaconda must be like. Tire wants to snap back to original orientation but once the "flip" point is reached it goes.



Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15972

PostPosted: Mon May 02, 22 7:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

They were popular in the UK a few years ago. Not many looked as good as yours though Jam Lady. We use an old tyre for storing a length of cable for a winch we use in the woods, so yes, they have plenty of other purposes.

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